When To Have A Baby Shower During Your Pregnancy

Baby showers officially gained popularity and grew into a tradition in the 1940s. For 80 years (nearly a century!), we’ve been throwing celebrations in honor of our parents to be. That’s what this time should be, right? A showering of celebration and love for the new life being brought onto our earth. 

Yet customs can come with questions and stressors, especially if this is your first pregnancy. Parents always strive to do everything right. The calendar is full of dates and appointments, check-ins and check-ups, and you might be wondering… when does the baby shower get its date?

Showers, unlike announcements, typically do not subscribe to any rules. While you can throw your celebration whenever your heart desires, here are a few things to consider along the way.

Consider The Host

Who is hosting this shower? Sticking with tradition, a baby shower typically is hosted by a female figure of the family. But it’s 2020, and practically, well, anyone can host a baby shower. Yes, even the expecting parent. 

If you want to host your own celebration, you’ll want to begin planning quite early. Planning takes a lot of energy, and you might underestimate or be surprised by how your pregnancy will affect your energy levels. Around 13 weeks, the second trimester, many carriers experience a boost of energy that carries them through till the 28th week, the beginning of the third trimester, which is when exhaustion can set in. 

Many people will have their party early during the third trimester, so it’s best to do your planning in between the second and third trimester. That way, planning is a much more enjoyable experience rather than something that feels like a chore. 

Consider The Due Date

Planning your party within the same month as your due date might lead to the potential of a certain guest arriving early, if you know what we mean. Some people think they should wait until as-close-as-possible to the due date in order for the baby belly to be at it’s prime—but many bellies look beautiful at the 23-27 week mark. This way, you’re still glowing with energy and can enjoy each moment. 

Additionally—we think it’s a nice practice to keep gratitude in mind. Send out thank you cards or e-thanks is a wonderful touch that tends to go forgotten in our modern times. If sending out notes is important to you, you might want to have a shower a few months before your delivery. This way, you have plenty of time to organize your gratitude before the big arrival. Once the baby arrives, those recyclable cards might not make it to the mailbox! 

Consider If You Want A “Reveal”

Depending on who you ask, there’s always some fun to be had with a surprise! Consider if you’d like to work an exciting reveal into your party. If you’re interested in knowing the sex of your baby before their birth, this can be incorporated into the party. Or if you have your heart set on their name and haven’t told friends or family yet, this can be a wonderfully touching detail to sprinkle into the day. If you’d like to delight your guests with the element of surprise it’s best to have these decisions set before throwing the celebration. 

Practical Things To Consider

Practically—what works best for you and those you want to celebrate with? Will you have a host? Maybe your circle runs a seamless 9-5 schedule and weekends are the best time to expect attendance. Typically, baby showers are held as lunch gatherings, but, again, there are no rules here. Would you like to do lunch, dinner, brunch, breakfast? Maybe the smell of eggs is turning your tummy, and therefore, any occasion where there could be an omelet is out. 

The season can greatly dictate how your gathering looks. Depending on where you live, summer might be a little hot for the parent expecting which could make celebrating a little taxing. Spring is a popular time for showers as the weather tends to be just right, and the symbolism of flowers blooming provides the additional feeling that new-life is just around the corner. If you’d like to safely surround yourself amongst others an outdoor event is a way to go. 

Virtual Options

For the entire year of 2020, many of us retreated in-doors, traded office meetings for zoom calls, enjoyed weddings from our living rooms, and much more. Baby showers are easily adaptable to virtual experiences! 

While enjoying company virtually isn’t quite the same as being in the same room with your loved ones, there are still wonderful experiences to be had online. Plus, it’s quite eco-friendly—no need to purchase extra cups and paper plates, helping to cut back on unnecessary waste. Check out our post on having a virtual baby shower for some additional ideas and to learn about the benefits of keeping distance and staying online!  

Even if your shower is during a normal time, virtual attendance can be a way to connect with loved ones all over the world. Travel isn’t always an accessible option for all guests involved, and you would hate to leave someone you love off the list because of distance. 

Consider Gift Lists

Gifts, naturally, are a wonderful part of your baby shower. Taking the time to cultivate a detailed, ethical, and intentional list is absolutely worth the time and energy. It’s best to fulfill your wish list—or be on the way to fulfillment—before having your celebration. 

Though they’re quite small, babies require many things! Even the most eco-conscious, minimalist parents can be surprised as the list expands. There’s no shame in wanting to equip a baby with thoughtful toys, to have products that make your morning wake-up calls to feed a lot easier, or dress your babe in adorable, ethical outfits that you can feel good about. 

It’s important to take time deciding what products, clothing, and other goods you’re inviting into your home. Why? Unfortunately, baby toys and clothes can be toxic. It’s a shame, but mass-manufacturing and fast fashion are a harsh reality. Injecting toys and clothes with harsh and harmful chemicals, like BPA, PVC, lead, phthalates, cadmium, chlorine, and arsenic, allows manufacturers to pump out products quickly. 

It’s a cheap alternative to natural, organic, recyclable goods—which, if you’re wondering, is why the items that are good for babies can be a bit more expensive. But while environmentally friendly, safe products take longer to produce compared to these other brands, you also know that you’re getting quality. 

Creating a shower registry can make your family and friend’s lives a little easier and help ensure that you’re only receiving things that you need.  A lot of waste is made by receiving things we don’t want nor need, especially because it can be so hard to get rid of something that was a gift.

Because toxicity is nearly everywhere, it’s helpful to give your friends and family a heads up on what you’re looking for. You can curate a list of gifts that honor the health and safety of you and your growing family. 

The Timing Is Now!

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong time to celebrate you and your baby. But you can strategize and align your needs so that your shower is delivered right on time! At Mon Coeur, we believe that the best way to celebrate life is by celebrating all of life! Have a beautiful celebration that you, your baby, and the earth can feel great about. 

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/pregnancy-fatigue#duration

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=134&ContentID=4

://www.parents.com/baby/gear/registries-buying-guides/9-baby-registry-mistakes-to-avoid-making/